We have been successful in determining the optimal laser parameters necessary to encode and read out laser microbeam profiles in photochromic films. These films appear capable of giving accurate profiles of the spatial intensity distribution within microirradiated samples. Quantitative analysis of the confocal fluorescent images of these photochromic films indicate that the image contrast varies linearly with the local laser beam intensity. Line scans of these images in both longitudinal and lateral directions give profiles which possess excellent agreement with the theory of Gaussian beam propagation. We have also investigating schemes to accurately determine the pulse energy of a laser microbeam and are in the process of implementing a system to do so.